


That Damn Cat

by Erikutta



Category: Shameless (US), gallavich - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Here Kitty Kitty Challenge, Here Kitty Kitty!, M/M, kitty fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 20:45:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13666959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erikutta/pseuds/Erikutta
Summary: Ian finds a kitten...





	That Damn Cat

**Author's Note:**

> I have never written anything for fun, only for school or for students I tutor. I thought I'd give this a try. Yikes! Go easy on me. Thanks to J_Q for the support and encouragement!

Mickey and Ian were walking down the sidewalk one cool, sunny day. They had just dropped off Yev at Svetlana’s apartment and were heading to the store to pick up a few items so Ian could cook dinner that night. They needed a date night, just the two of them. It had been awhile since they had time to themselves without being exhausted from work, or from having Yev. Ian told Mickey he was going to cook dinner and then see where the night went.  
Mickey was bitching to Ian about work when Ian stopped walking and stood still, like he had just been shocked. Mickey turned and looked at him and saw the look on his ginger’s face. “Ian, what the fuck?”

“Shh” Ian replied. Ian tilted his head to the left and remained perfectly still. He listened for the noise that made him stop. He heard it again, “mew, mew”. Ian squatted down and looked into the bushes. Mickey looked at Ian like he was crazy, “what is it?” he asked.  
Ian put his hand inside the bushes and pulled out a tiny kitten that was smaller than his large hand. “Mick, look!” Mickey walked over to see Ian holding a tiny, gray kitten with bright, green eyes. “Mew” the kitten said as it looked up at Ian. Ian was in love instantly.  
He looked up at Mickey and Mickey knew that this kitten was coming home. “Fuck,” he thought.

“Mickey, it’s so tiny and probably hungry. We have to take care of it!” Ian said.

“Ugh, you know I’m allergic to cats, Ian.”

“But Mickey, we can’t leave it in the bushes, it’s too cold at night and there is no momma kitty around.” he argued.

Mickey knew Ian was right and the big, pouty eyes Ian was giving Mickey were too hard to resist. “Alright, we can take ‘em home, but we ain’t keepin ‘em”.

“OK, OK, we will find him a home, Mick, I promise, let’s just get him some food and warmth!”

The boys continued on their way while Ian cooed over the sweet, baby kitty he cuddled in his arms. They bought the food from the store and also purchased a small litter box, litter, milk, kitten food, and some cat toys. Ian just rolled his eyes at Mickey when he reminded Ian that the kitten’s stay was only temporary and that all the stuff wasn’t needed.  
The boys arrived back at their apartment with the baby cat fast asleep in Ian’s coat pocket, its tiny head poking out. Mickey put the groceries away and Ian found a shoe box to place his new baby into. He put a hand towel inside and pulled the sleeping kitten from his coat pocket, gently placing it in the makeshift bed. Kitty curled up inside and kept sleeping. Ian got the litter box set up and then poured some milk into a small dish. He placed the dish inside the shoe box and gently nudged the kitten awake. “Meeeew”, it said. Ian pushed it towards the milk and the kitten immediately began dipping its tiny tongue into the delicious milk.

Mickey stood back and watched his boyfriend get the tiny animal all set up. He knew this would end badly. Mickey hated cats and he was allergic to them, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he would start sneezing and get itchy, watery eyes. Mickey walked over to where Ian and the kitten were.

“Ian, we need to see if that damn cat belongs to anyone, maybe put up some signs.” “I guess, but can we just give ‘em a minute to enjoy the milk and indoors?” Mickey nodded his head and went to sit on the couch.

He turned the TV on and flipped through the channels, enjoying some quiet. Ian stayed with the kitten, watching it drink the milk while softly petting its tiny head. When the kitten stopped drinking, he picked it up, checked between its legs, and announced “It’s a girl!” Mickey just grunted. Ian brought his baby girl over to the sofa and placed her on his chest.  
“What should we call her, Mick?”

 

“Nothing, she ain’t ours and she ain’t staying,” Mickey replied.  
Ian looked into her green eyes and smiled lovingly at her, thinking of the perfect name. A sterling silver kitten with emerald eyes, tiny and perfect and the cutest thing he had ever seen, well, the cutest non-Mickey thing he’d ever seen. Sterling silver, hmmm, Ian kind of liked that for a name, but was it a cat’s name? He looked at the kitten and said, “Sterling, are you comfy? Hmmm?”

Mickey looked over at the exchange and said, “What the fuck, what is Sterling?”

“Just something I’m trying out, Mick,” Ian replied. “She’s silver colored, like sterling silver, I think it’s cute.”

“Whatever, you gonna put that thing down and pay attention to me? This was supposed to be our day, Ian.” Mickey said in an annoyed tone.

Ian moved closer to his boyfriend, but held onto Sterling as he slid over. Sterling had fallen back asleep on Ian and Ian was falling in love. Mickey scoffed at the fact that Ian kept the stupid cat on his chest, but he liked having his boyfriend curled up on him. Ian fell asleep as Mickey watched TV. After an hour or so, Ian woke up to a scratchy feeling on his nose. He opened his eyes, green looking into green. “mew,” Sterling said to Ian. “Awe, are you hungry, Littles?” Ian glanced at Mickey to see he had fallen asleep too. Ian didn’t want to wake Mickey, so he gently pushed off the sofa with Sterling in his hand. He moved into the kitchen and opened a can of kitten food. Sterling did not stifle her excitement; she let out a string of meows as Ian sat her down in front of the can. The kitten quickly started eating the food. Ian just stared down adoringly.

It was nap time for kitty, so Ian cooked dinner. He boiled some ravioli and heated a tomato cream sauce, Mickey was going to love it. He put some garlic bread into the hot oven and poured some bagged lettuce into a bowl. He sat everything on the table. Ian approached his sleeping boyfriend and kissed him softly on the lips to wake him up. Mickey put his hand behind Ian’s neck to pull him back for more, but Ian pulled away, “Mick, the food is hot and on the table.”

Mickey groaned and said, “To be continued then, Gallagher”. Mickey sat down and started serving himself while Ian peeked over at Sterling. She was still asleep, but appeared to be moving around. Just as the boys started eating, kitty was out of her bed and on the table. Before Ian could process her stealth moves, she had her nose in his sauce.  
“Fucking no, cat!” Mickey yelled as he scooped up Sterling and tossed her on the floor.  
But Sterling was not deterred because she was right back up on the table headed back to the sauce. This process of jumping and Mickey scooping her up and tossing her to the floor happened a few more times all while Ian snickered and cooed at how persistent she was. Mickey grimaced and finally took her bed to their room and sat her in it, closing the door behind him. The boys finished the meal while tuning out the quiet meows and little scratching sounds.

After dinner, Mickey pulled Ian up from the table. He began kissing his neck and dragging his hand up Ian’s chest. Ian moaned at the feeling and grabbed Mickey by the neck to bring him in for a passionate kiss. As things heated up, Mickey grabbed Ian by the wrist and pulled him towards the bedroom. He opened the door, pulled Ian in and threw him on the bed. Before Mickey could lean over him, Sterling was on Ian’s chest. Mickey picked her up and said, “he’s mine, cat.”

Kitty Littles was having none of that, she was back on Ian in a second, bouncing around on his chest, wanting to play a little. Ian pulled the tiny kitten to his chest and kissed her head repeatedly.  
“Hey, those kisses are for me, you damn cat.” Mickey whined.

Ian just laughed and said, “Mickey, she deserves some affection too.” Mickey pulled Sterling from Ian’s grasp, picked up the shoe box and headed to the living room. He sat her inside and headed back to the room, but kitty was faster. She ran inside and leaped back up on Ian. “That damn cat is getting annoying, Ian.”

“Babe, she is a tiny kitten, she doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Well, she’s fucking with my leaking dick that needs your attention.”

At that, Ian took the tiny kitten into the other room, gave her a little more food and headed back to the bedroom. Mickey was on the bed, naked, stroking himself. Ian was on him in a heartbeat.  
The next day they put up flyers announcing that a gray kitten had been found. A week went by and no one had contacted them. About two weeks after Ian found Sterling, Ian came home from work to find Sterling snuggled up on Mickey’s chest, both fast asleep. He takes a picture and saves it as his lock screen. When Mickey wakes up, Ian is sitting there and says, “Tell me the part about being allergic to cats again, Mick?”

“Fuck off, Gallagher,” Mickey replied as he passed the kitten to Ian.

Ian immediately snuggled her under his chin. After a quick pros and cons conversation, Mickey agrees to let Sterling stay since she doesn’t make Mickey sneeze, and Ian is clearly head over heels for the damn furball.

Over the next several months, Sterling provided much comic relief for the boys. Doing her kitty gymnastics routine full of round offs, high jumps, and flips when Ian plays with her. His personal favorite toy is the string on a stick, that’s when he gets Little’s to jump the highest, often resulting in a back flip off the back of the couch. Mickey loves watching Ian interact with his baby girl kitty, the way he smiles, laughs, and just loves her completely, it makes Mickey kind of like the little ball of gray fur.

One night, about six months after Sterling moved in, Mickey got home early from work. He heads to the kitchen for a beer, enjoying the silence and quiet of his home, since Ian is working his 24 hour shift. He sits down on the couch and flips through the channels. Propping his feet up on the coffee table, Mickey settles in to watch a re-run of Full House, Mandy always loved this show and Uncle Jesse was hot. Plus, no one was home to catch him watch his guilty pleasure. After about 15 minutes, it dawns on him that he hasn’t seen Sterling. Usually, that damn cat runs at his feet and wants to play. “Littles!” he yells. Nothing. “Sterling, time for dinner,” Mickey yells louder. Silence. Fuck, where is that cat? Mickey gets up and goes to the bedroom to look in Sterling’s bed, no cat. He begins to check all of Kitty’s usual hiding spots, under the bed, the shower, under the kitchen table, the closet, no cat. Mickey starts to get a little nervous. He goes to the kitchen to open a can of food, the sound alone usually sends the cat running into the kitchen and turning a round-off at her excitement for food. He scoops the food into Sterling’s bowl, but she doesn’t appear. Mickey is officially nervous. He thinks about calling Ian to ask where the cat could be, but he doesn’t want to alarm his boyfriend, knowing how much it would upset him if something happened to Sterling. Instead he texts him, nonchalantly.

Mickey: hey, babe. Home early and crashing, love ya

Ian: sleep tight, love you too

Mickey decides the lie will hold him over and heads outside to look. He brings a can of cat food with him, hoping the smell will lure the little cat home. “Sterling!” Mickey yells. “Here cat, come get your dinner!” He cracks open a can of food and stands on the steps and waits. Mickey walks out to the sidewalk, looks in the bushes, looks up and down the street, calls for her a few more times, all the while his stomach is growing tighter and he starts to feel a little sick. Where is that damn cat? Mickey knows Ian will be devastated if something happens to Sterling. Actually, devastated is an understatement, Mickey isn’t sure there is a verb strong enough for what he thinks Ian will feel. He has to find that kitten. Mickey goes back inside to get a few more cans of cat food, and her favorite toy, the string on a stick. He heads back outside and walks down the street, dragging the string, calling her name, desperate for the kitten to meow or jump out of the bushes. After walking for blocks, leaving opened cans of food along the way, Mickey has made a complete perimeter walk and is back at his steps. He sighs deeply, and heads back in. Mickey thinks hard about his next move.  
First he decides to call their vet to see if anyone has brought her there. She is micro chipped, thank goodness. While Sterling had a collar, they didn’t make her wear it since she was an indoor cat. The vet was a no go. They advised him to call the shelters and animal control. A few Google searches later, Mickey had a list of numbers to call, hoping one would lead to the kitten. It was getting pretty late and Ian would be home in the morning. An hour later, Mickey ended the call, it had been the last number on his list. No Sterling. Mickey’s heart clenched tightly in his chest, he actually felt a wave of sadness knowing that the damn cat was lost. He decided to get some sleep and wake up early to go look for her before Ian got home.

Mickey woke up at 5:00 am, actually missing the warmth of the little ball of fur and his ginger boyfriend wrapped around him. Mickey gets up and makes some crappy “Missing Cat” fliers and heads out to post them around the neighborhood. Oh, the irony. Just 6 months ago he was posting flyers announcing they found a cat, and now the damn thing was missing. FUCK. He had grown to kind of like the little girl kitty, she entertained him and kept his man in a state of bliss. Mickey came back in around 6:30 and decided to give Ian a call to warn him before he arrived home. Mickey wasn’t sure he could handle seeing his expression upon hearing the news. He makes some coffee and sits down on the couch with his phone in his hand. Just then, he hears a key in the lock. He looks up to see Ian walk in, all smiles.

When Ian sees the look on Mickey’s face, he walks over to him, sits down and immediately asks, “What’s wrong?”

Mickey takes a deep breath, opens his mouth and says, “Fuck, Ian. I don’t know how it happened, but Sterling is miss...”

“Meow,” cried Sterling as she poked her head out of Ian’s coat pocket, cutting Mickey off midsentence.

What. The. Fuck.

Sterling crawled out and into Ian’s lap. Mickey is staring blankly at the cat. “What?” “How?” He looks up at Ian and just stares.

“I took Sterling to work with me since I knew you were working late. I didn’t want her to be home alone that long.”

Mickey takes a deep breath and then punches Ian in the arm, “Why didn’t you tell me that, asshole?”

“I didn’t think you would notice she was gone.” Ian replied, “I figured you would come home and crash and I’d be home with her before you woke up.”

“No man, I got off work early and went to feed her and she was gone. I spent hours searching the neighborhood for her, calling shelters, and even put up flyers at 5:30 this morning.”

Ian stares at Mickey, not sure what to even say to him. “Mick, why didn’t you call me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you at work, I thought I’d find her.” He paused and then asked, “You can take her to work?”

“Yeah, I got a bed there for her and everyone loves her. She sleeps if I have to go out on a call.”

“Fuck, Ian. You have no idea how freaked out I got. All I could picture was your distraught face.” He reached over and scratched the furball’s head. “I know how much you love this damn cat.”

“Hmm, sounds like you might love her a little too, Mick.” Ian gazed at Mickey and then down at Sterling. She was so adorable. Teenage sized now, still solid silver, with big, green eyes that matched his own.

Mickey picked her up and looked into her eyes and said, “I might like her a little bit.”

“Meow,” she replied and licked him on the nose. Mickey smiled at the scratchy feeling and pulled her into his chest. This damn cat, making him all soft and caring. Mickey leaned back onto the arm of the sofa and Ian crawled in between his legs, putting his head on Mickey’s chest next to Sterling. Mickey looked down at both of them, and placed a kiss on Sterling’s head and then one on his boyfriend’s forehead. It was pretty fucking adorable.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm Erikutta on AO3. Fell in love with these boys about a year ago and have been consumed since then. I'm working on an AU fic now, but thought I'd try this first. I hope there aren't too many errors, I edited it myself. Thanks for reading and let me know if I should stop while I'm ahead.  
> *runs and hides now*


End file.
